This invention generally relates to a sunroof for a motor vehicle and specifically to a sunroof including a wind deflector and rain protector that reduces noise and prevents rain from entering the vehicle when the sunroof is in a vented position.
Typically, sunroofs are designed to allow a panel to be opened in a sliding direction to the rear of the vehicle to expose the entire opening. Further, many of these same sunroofs are designed to be tilted or pivoted upward by angling a rear portion of the sunroof to open into a vent position. In the vent position, the rear portion of the sunroof is pivoted upward from the motor vehicle roof to form an opening.
When the sunroof is in the vented position, excessive wind noise including a whistling sound may occur as the car is moving. Air flowing over the vented sunroof causes this wind noise. Further, in the vented position an opening is created that may allow rain to enter the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle. As appreciated, this is undesirable and uncomfortable for passengers within the motor vehicle. Often it is desired to open the sunroof to the vent position even when it is raining.
It is known in the art to provide devices to address and reduce such wind noise. One such device includes a seal that extends around the rear portion and two sides of the sunroof and includes a jagged edge. The jagged edge is designed to reduce and break up the turbulent air experienced at the rear of the vented sunroof. Such a device is adequate for simply reducing the wind noise caused by turbulent air whistling over the pivoted rear portion of the sunroof; however, such a jagged shield does not prevent rain from entering the motor vehicle.
Accordingly, it is desirable to develop a device and sunroof that both reduces wind noise caused by the turbulent effects of the sunroof panel, and prevents rain from entering the vehicle passenger compartment while still providing for full opening of the sunroof.
A disclosed embodiment of this invention is a sunroof for a motor vehicle including a mesh material that extends from the roof panel to a gutter guide assembly to reduce wind noise and substantially prevent rain from entering a motor vehicle.
In an embodiment of this invention, the sunroof includes a mesh material that is attached to a gutter guide portion of the sunroof at one end and to a gutter guide portion of the motor vehicle at a second end. The mesh material is flexible and stretches when the sunroof assembly is pivoted to the vented position and substantially blocks and covers the entire opening created by the sunroof in the vent position. The mesh material extends around three sides of the sunroof to block the entire opening in the vent position. The mesh material is collapsible upon closing of the sunroof and collapses into the gutter guide portion of the sunroof assembly. The gutter guide portion of the sunroof assembly of the motor vehicle moves with the sunroof to the fully opened position by sliding rearward and downward.
Accordingly, the sunroof assembly of this invention reduces the amount of rain entering the vehicle passenger compartment and reduces wind noise by breaking up turbulent effects created by the vented sunroof position.